Does your chicken love you?

[SW31]

Watching chickens interacting together tells me they certainly have emotions. I think that whereas I know with certainty that my cat loves me I think my chickens trust me. They certainly seek me out and just want to sit with me in the garden, not chasing at all for food, more about some form of companionship. I spent a lot of time with them when I first got them. I’ve seen jealousy, grief as well as the need to please. So yes, they do have emotions.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Hmm, I don't know about love in the way you consider the love of a spouse or family. However, I will say I have had great bonds with not only chickens, but other animals. In particular, I have a bantam hen right now who lost all her other siblings. I did alot of things with her similar to the way a mother hen would- I nestled her under my chin in the evening as a baby, showed her where good worms were hidden, and alerted her to possible dangers. While she is independent now, she's very much a momma's girl, and cries for attention whenever I am near. We still take walks together, and work on clicker training to make handling easier. I don't know about love, but it sure seems she enjoys seeing me and being around me.

As to a debate of emotion or memory in animals- I was once told as a child that animals had no attention span. No souls. No feelings. People will believe what they will, BUT, I've been around a few good horses, cats, dogs, and feathered friends that lead me to believe they do keep memory and emotion. They know who has hurt or helped them. As to souls, I have no answer, I just consider them all God's creation. With respect to all animals, this is my opinion.

 

[RodNTN]

I don't know for a fact that my chickens love me, but I do know for a fact that they trust me.
"Wilma" (Buff Orpington) has been my most loving chicken I've kept in my 5 years of chicken keeping. Every time I go outside she just follows me around, and I know it isn't for food because I only treat them once or twice a week!
She lets me know when she wants to be held, she pecks me and literally tries to jump in my lap when I'm standing! (Because she is too fat to perch on my shoulders..)
She sits in my lap and just coos and falls asleep when I hold her. She's my sweetest girl!

 

[RodNTN]

Wilma

 

[Nats Chickens]

My aunt had 2 roos she raised from chicks...They adored her. They would jump up on her lap, one on each knee, and roost on the kitchen window sill at night. My chickens love me, well Nim does enough to put up with learning to ride a skateboard, Sherbet loves cuddles, Jewel respects me and Leaf is cheeky, but likes to be patted.

 

[Eggscaping]

Exactly lol pick a side.
It is what it is. Pick a side don’t pick a fight. Ya can’t have it both ways. I should of known better (it happens every time with some) my bad. My New Years resolution...not to ever respond to it again. There are “options” I could choose.
I’ll do better next time

Awww...sorry if anyone's hurt. Not my intention when I asked the question. I've always had the feeling that...well, take a dog for instance. Rex is a dog who lives his life on a chain. He has food and water and a dog house but that's it. He doesn't know his owner other than as a food bringer and the owner pays no additional attention to Rex. Maybe he got him as an outside-only watch dog. So the owner is not bonded with Rex and vice versa. He sees nothing special about the dog and to him Rex is "just a dog''. Rex has not been what I call 'cultivated'.

Bingo is a dog who lives inside mostly, with outside when he asks to go out or has a walk or etc. He gets a lot of attention - toys, play time, brushing, baths, cuddles on the couch. His owner learns how to read the dog's feelings/emotions/needs. He can read the dog's facial expressions, set of his ears, body language. Bingo is a family member. He's loved, and loves his owner in return.

Would Rex's owner say his dog loves him? No. Would Bingo's? Yes. I have not experienced (yet) an opportunity to 'cultivate' a chicken or chickens. So that's why I asked the question - to hear how people responded...their own experiences and thoughts. But we all experience life in a different way, and I don't think that anyone is 'right' or 'wrong'. Just different...which is good! I don't want to see people get upset or feel bad or hurt or anything negative! We're sharing ourselves, right?

 

[Ribh]

As to a debate of emotion or memory in animals- I was once told as a child that animals had no attention span. No souls. No feelings. People will believe what they will, BUT, I've been around a few good horses, cats, dogs, and feathered friends that lead me to believe they do keep memory and emotion. They know who has hurt or helped them. As to souls, I have no answer, I just consider them all God's creation. With respect to all animals, this is my opinion.

Don't know about chooks yet but I have had cats that respond to the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I know it sounds weird but the cats zone in on it. I've had them join me for prayer times & go bonkers when the Holy Spirit is really present. They never behave that way other times, so I don't discount animals being cognizant of their creator.

 

[MROO]

As to a debate of emotion or memory in animals- I was once told as a child that animals had no attention span. No souls. No feelings. People will believe what they will, BUT, I've been around a few good horses, cats, dogs, and feathered friends that lead me to believe they do keep memory and emotion. They know who has hurt or helped them. As to souls, I have no answer, I just consider them all God's creation. With respect to all animals, this is my opinion.

Amen!

 

[robinwhiskers]

I don't humanize animals, for example I'm not going to say my fish loves me just because he goes crazy when I walk by. He just thinks he's being fed. However I think a chicken is emotionally capable of loving their owner. I have a hen that knows 50+ tricks and the hours and hours of training we've done in the past few year gives us an amazing bond and I truly do believe she loves me.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Hmm, I don't know about love in the way you consider the love of a spouse or family. However, I will say I have had great bonds with not only chickens, but other animals. In particular, I have a bantam hen right now who lost all her other siblings. I did alot of things with her similar to the way a mother hen would- I nestled her under my chin in the evening as a baby, showed her where good worms were hidden, and alerted her to possible dangers. While she is independent now, she's very much a momma's girl, and cries for attention whenever I am near. We still take walks together, and work on clicker training to make handling easier. I don't know about love, but it sure seems she enjoys seeing me and being around me.

As to a debate of emotion or memory in animals- I was once told as a child that animals had no attention span. No souls. No feelings. People will believe what they will, BUT, I've been around a few good horses, cats, dogs, and feathered friends that lead me to believe they do keep memory and emotion. They know who has hurt or helped them. As to souls, I have no answer, I just consider them all God's creation. With respect to all animals, this is my opinion.

They never forget that you helped them. The may forget why...but not what you did.